Scientists Discover True Love - Rest of Us Discover Smug Married Trolls

The article I've just posted is from the Times website and is really quite an interesting science piece. It outlines research which shows that 10 per cent of couples are able to maintain the heady chemical cocktail of first love right through their relationships. These people have mental "love maps'' similar to animals which mate for life, prompting the researchers to nickname them "swans''.

The story is below - and it makes a good read. But what is really hilarious is not so much the research itself as the online comments it attracts from readers. Although some readers are sceptical of the findings and a few write that they hope to be lucky in love, the majority have used the article as a springboard for an orgy of lovestruck gloating. Two-thirds of readers loudly insist they are among the lucky 10 per cent who can maintain true love. In the rush to assert membership in this exclusive club, some don't even manage to finish reading the article.

"We've been married 27 years and it's better than ever! We're definitely swans,'' coos Luisa from Chicago. "All it takes to get him going is me walking around the house in my pjs. I didn't know we were that unique,'' Danielle from Dallas says. Now she does know, her friends will probably never hear the end of it. "We have many envious friends whom don't have the same passion in their lives,'' some wanker from Cape Coral blares. Pete from Hanoi kindly informs us that "she gets goose bumps when we kiss and I get butterflies in my stomach when I see her picture''. There's something rumbling in our stomachs too, Pete, and it ain't butterflies. Meanwhile Franziska from Sevenoaks is outraged to hear that for most people the chemical tide of love ebbs after 10 years. "I still get butterflies when I see my boyfriend - and we've been together more than 10 years,'' she says before signing off with a pointed, "Oh, and it's mutual.''

Thank goodness then for Tom from San Francisco, who administers the coup de gras - "I didn't quite care for my spouse when we first met, and to this day I have yet to care for her very much. I never knew this was true love.''

What is the bet these people don't even have partners? (Except for Tom, who is clearly in a committed relationship). "Wow, you've found the part of the internet with smug married trolls,'' remarked TK, causing my heart to leap and a frisson of electric desire to race through my quivering body. "Serves you right for reading a paper that's full of smug mugs.''

The Article and the Smug Married Comments are here.

Read this post | 0 comments | 07 January 2009

Yes to Carrots Review

This Christmas I was given a set of Yes to Carrots creams - a body lotion, face cream and shampoo. Apart from the silly name, the brand is a surprisingly affordable organic beauty range (about $40 for the set from www.chemistdirect.com.au). The range is paraben free and purports to be filled with Dead Sea minerals which have magic powers of rejuvenation. And organically grown carrots.

The body lotion is thick and silky and does a reasonable job keeping skin smooth and soft. It's not quite as rich as the Richmond Hemp Body Lotion but is a good light lotion. The C Today face cream is also souffle light, with a mild, pleasant smell. Good for summer and plenty of it to go round in a generous tub. It can leave the skin a tiny bit oily on a hot summer day but this could also just as easily be a side effect of the weather. The Pampering Carrot Juice shampoo is also a pleasant little product - it keeps hair relatively free of dandruff and has a soothing feel. Perhaps the only drawback is the funky orange colour in the shampoo gel. Having tested the shampoo I'm now curious to try the Yes to Carrots hair conditioner, which could be a contender in the Neverending Quest for Good Long Hair Care.

Yes to Carrots offers excellent value and reasonably good performance for an organic or chemical-free beauty range. There's a sense of fun - and some sadly lame puns - through the products and the gentle day face cream is a particular standout.

Yes to Carrots
Value for Money: 8/10
Ethical Smugness Factor: 7/10
But Does It Actually Work? 7/10
Read this post | 0 comments | 05 January 2009
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